Joseph Walker: Focus on reason for giving rather than new and shiny gifts

Still, as we venture into the Christmas shopping season, it is good to remember that we generally get what we pay for. We put a lot of time, effort and money into our Christmas giving. And that's not a bad thing, I guess, until we become more focused on the gifts than on the reason for the giving. If we focus on the gifts, then we'll get what we pay for: pleasure and delight until something newer, fresher, shinier and higher-tech comes along — as it inevitably will. But if we focus on the reason for the giving — the tenderness of our most cherished relationships and the sacredness of the season — then what we get in return will have little to do with the gift, and everything to do with the feelings that were generated through the giving and the receiving.

Besides, everyone knows that the best gifts rarely come from the gift shop — they come from the heart.

And they almost never include ICBM capability.

To read more by Joseph B. Walker, please go to www.josephbwalker.com. Email: jwalker@desnews.com